I was at a wine class last night and this GSM blend was one of the wines we tasted.  Having recently tried the 2016 vintage I wanted to re-visit this as a follow on.  It is deep ruby, bordering on purple.  The nose has medium (+) intensity aromas of black raspberry, black plum, blackberry, mint? and white pepper.  The palate of this dry wine has medium tannins, medium (-) acidity, medium body, medium (+) intensity flavors of the black fruit already mentioned and a cassis-like sweetness on the mid palate.  There is very little oak influence that I can sense.  The finish is mid length and grippy.  I like this very serviceable wine that runs $15 and gets 91 points from me.  I would drink this with strip steak till 2026.  5 stars.  Salut….

This wine is a blend of 60% Grenache, 30% Syrah and 10% Mourvèdre.  It is semi opaque with shades of ruby in the glass.  The nose is pronounced with aromas of raspberries, red licorice, red plum with floral notes of violets and honeysuckle.  The palate is juicy, tart and shows off medium tannins.  The red fruit driven flavors are very much evident as is the acidity.  Very deft use of oak and the fact that it is Grenache based make for a very easy mouthfeel without too much complexity.  It is a nice sipping wine that will drink well till 2028.  I’m pairing it with Cumberland sausages, onion gravy and mashed potatoes.  89 points from me for this $14 Rhone wine make it a 4 star effort.  Salut….

Fall has kicked off, and with the chillier weather I feel the need for some heart-warming fare.  Cassoulet is on the books and it requires a hearty French red in my opinion.   This wine is a Grenache based blend with some Syrah and Mourvedre that packs a 15% ABV punch and is pretty opaque in the glass.  Ruby in color, it looks a touch cloudy.  On the nose I get white pepper, red plum, red cherry, coffee and charred wood.  The palate is delicious- raspberry and red cherry with lush oak by way of coffee and charcoal.  White pepper notes come out on the mid palate where the tannins start to gently grip.  The acidity is finely balanced and the mouthfeel is great.  Medium to full bodied, this wine has depth and complexity.  The finish is mid length and really shows off the red fruit and tannins.  I am enjoying this wine pre-dinner but think it will go well with my pairing.  Other ideas would be grilled chops, hearty stews or the obvious- a thick steak.  Drink this rather young wine till 2028.  91 points from me and at $27 a pop, 5 stars.  Salut….